Best Practices for Making the Best Packaging Choice

By the time you're ready to ship a sensitive medical device or complex robotic equipment, you've already invested a great deal of time and money in development and production. No doubt you want your product to arrive in perfect, working order. To a large extent, selecting the proper packaging for shipping medical devices or robotics depends on your particular circumstances.

For instance, wooden shipping crates sometimes present the best solution when you're moving your product to its final destination and do not plan to use the packaging again. If you are considering this method, there are several factors to keep in mind, including:

Cost - chances are this will not be your least-cost solution

Space - wood shipping crates are typically more bulky and will take up more space than other shipping methods

Number of Trips - wood crates are not usually intended for more than a handful of trips

Handling - wooden shipping crates can be difficult to maneuver and unload

Many products have a home base but are shuttled from one location to another for trade-shows, exhibits and laboratory use. ATA cases provide a great option for products that fall into this category, They are portable, durable and can be customized to house items like teach pendants or robot arms that accompany certain robotics. In addition they are:

Cost-effective - the initial cost is mid-range and the cases can be used repeatedly

Stable and secure - the cases are designed to remain balanced in a variety of different locations

Highly transportable - flight cases can be easily rolled in and out

Customized - these cases can be designed to display your company's brand colors and logos

Sometimes a combination of wood and corrugated packaging may suit your needs best. Using a wood base with a corrugated cap or replacing the wood on the sides of a crate with cardboard can save money if your products needs minimal protection. Your packaging provider should work with you to determine a plan of action that is as cost-effective as possible.

Getting your products to market efficiently and safely is important. So is choosing the proper packaging. The best way to guarantee your products are shipped properly is to choose the right packaging partner - one that will optimize your shipping solutions.